(These are FREE listings. Email: EditorVoice@gmail.com)
South Asian Seniors: Group Birthday
Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian senior members to celebrate group birthday of 16 senior members born in July and August on Saturday, August 30, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Shanti Niketan Hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple at 8321 – 140th Street, Surrey. It will start with serving snacks, tea and pop, and there will be live entertainment of musical melodies on the violin by Mohan Bhojwani, a visiting musician from London, England, hilarious jokes and Hindi songs sung by talented members. There will be a cake-cutting ceremony. Pure vegetarian pizza will be served for lunch. Registration required for non-members. Contact Surendra Handa at 604-507-9945 for registration.
Sai Japa
All devotees are invited at Hindu Cultural Society and Community Centre of B.C.(3885 Albert Street, Burnaby) to participate in Sai Japa / Bhajans on Saturday, August 30 at 5 p.m. Program: 5:15-6:15 Bhajan /Kirtan; 6:30-7:15 p.m. Sai Japa; 7:30 p.m. Priti Bhojan. Contact: Rajubhai Parekh at 604-327-8259; Vijaybhai Dayal at 604-986-5958; Kantibhai Patel at 604-522-7989; or the Temple at 604-299-5922.
South Asian Seniors: High Blood Pressure Talk
Vedic Seniors Parivar Centre of Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey invites South Asian adults / senior members and non-members for a presentation on Complications of Hypertension by Dr. Saroj Kumar, a family physician at VivaCare Delta, on Sunday, August 31, 2-3:30 p.m., at Shanti Niketan Hall of Lakshmi Narayan Hindu Temple, 8321 – 140th Street, Surrey. You can ask questions about your health concerns with high blood pressure and Dr. Kumar will give you professional advice. Tea and snacks will be served after the presentation. Contact Surendra Handa at 604-507-9945 for further details.
Richmond Summer Celebration
Let it go at an end-of-summer celebration, with a sampling of free live music, great food, and a free outdoor screening of the newest Disney animated classic Frozen on Sunday, August 31, at the Richmond Olympic Oval waterfront plaza. The celebrations get under way at 4 p.m. so get in the mood for the movie by joining in a Let It Go sing-along with the Frozen Queen and enjoy many other free fun family activities as Summer PlayDays comes to an end. Fast rising Western Canadian singer / songwriter Jordan Klassen heads the entertainment line-up with a performance at 7 p.m. “Violinistextremist” Kytami will wow audiences at 5:45 p.m. with her fusion of classical violin and fiddle styles, mixed with modern hip hop sounds. Throughout the evening, performers include jugglers Mike Battie and Yuki Ueda and plenty of fun for the kids including bouncy castles, the Richmond Art Truck, Tumble Bus, Cartwheels Inc. gymnastics zone, ping pong and more. Delicious food will be available including BBQ hamburgers and hotdogs, Asian cuisine from All About the Grill, Cravings Kettle Corn, Tin Lizzy Donuts and Rocky Point Ice Cream. The Richmond Food Bank Society will be on site and the first 200 people to visit their booth will receive a coupon for a free bag of popcorn. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item or make a cash donation. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair to enjoy the shows. Ample free parking will be available at the City of Richmond’s Works Yard (5599 Lynas Lane). Bus shuttles will be running from 3:30 – 10:30 p.m. between the Works Yard and the Richmond Olympic Oval. Additional parking can be found at the WorkSafe BC parking lot. For more details, visit www.richmond.ca/summerplaydays or go to OvalSummerPlayDays on Facebook and @FunRichmond on Instagram and Twitter (#SummerPlayDays).
Introduction to Canadian Citizenship
This free program in Punjabi / Hindi caters to permanent residents who are applying for Canadian Citizenship. An introduction will be provided on topics like Canada’ History, Geography, Government and much more. Participants will learn on how to study “Discover Canada”. Every Thursday from now until September 11, 1-2:30 p.m. At South Vancouver Neighbourhood House, 6470 Victoria Drive at 49th) in Vancouver. Free Child minding and refreshments will be provided. For more information and registration, call: 604-324-6212, ext. 134.
MOSAIC Seniors Club
MOSAIC Seniors Club is now accepting registrations for free fall (September–December) activities. The club provides free services for seniors aged 55+. Activities include English conversation and computer classes, workshops, field trips and more. Volunteers provide language assistance in a number of languages. All activities and services are free of charge, but registration is required. Due to funding, priority is given to permanent residents, but all are welcome. For enquiries / registration, call 604-254-9626; for Burnaby, call 604-438-8214.
Job Options BC Program
Progressive Intercultural Community Services (PICS) Society’s Job Options BC program in White Rock / South Surrey is providing opportunities for unemployed non-EI British Columbians 18 years of age or older. Eligibility criteria: * Unemployed British Columbians who are landed immigrants or Canadian citizens and aren’t attending school * Non-EI receivers who haven’t established a regular Employment Insurance claim in the last 3 years; and haven’t established a maternity or parental claim in the past 5 years * Individuals who are most likely to benefit from long term job search help, supported work experience and follow-up support services. Funded through the Canada – B.C. Labour Market Agreement, the program offers: * 4 to 6 weeks of facilitated group work followed by 4 to 6 weeks of work experience options to a maximum of 10 weeks * Training allowances for 4 to 6 weeks of group work * Preparation for employment, or where appropriate, further training and up to 6 months follow up support * Opportunity to train and work with a BC employer. The next session starts on September 15 and intake is ongoing. For more information, contact us at Job Options BC Program (PICS Society) #206-1461 Johnston Road, White Rock, V4B 3Z4, 604-531-8299, Fax 604-531-9057, danny.pendhall@pics.bc.ca.
Parkinson SuperWalk
Family, friends and co-workers are teaming up to fight Parkinson’s. Join our community heroes at the 19th annual Parkinson SuperWalk on Sunday, September 7 at 10 a.m. in Vancouver’s Stanley Park (Ceperley Playground). Participants can register by visiting www.parkinson.bc.ca. 110 communities across Canada and 21 communities throughout BC (including Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Vancouver) will join the fight to find a cure.
Suicide Prevention Panel Discussion
Suicide Prevention Panel Discussion and Photo Exhibit to mark Suicide Prevention Day at Valley View Funeral Home, 14660 72nd Avenue, Surrey, on Wednesday, September 10, 7-9 p.m. Panel members include one of the artists of the exhibit, individuals who can speak to the loss of a family member to suicide, a representative from Fraser Mental Health and Jackie Yurick.
Muslim Association of Canada: Vancouver Chapter
Would like to invite you and your whole family to Maher Zain’s Songs for Hope brought to you by Islamic Relief Canada. All proceeds will go to children relief around the world. When: Saturday, September 13 at 6 p.m. Where: Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road., Richmond. Tickets: balcony: $30 (sold out); ground floor: back – $40, front – $50. For tickets or for more information, contact Randa at 778-229-7004, Yusuf at 778-374-3824 or Sis. Fatima at 778-998-6222.
Public Forum on Sufi Legacy in South Asia
Public Forum on Spirituality, Humanity, and the Marginalized: The Sufi Legacy in South Asia: Saturday, September 13, 2-5 p.m. at 7000 SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. Panel: * Keynote address: Dr. Nile Green (UCLA), (“Mazars for the Marginalized: Reflections from the Pilgrim’s Road.”) * Seemi Ghazi (UBC), “The Doctrines and Practices of the Sufis.” * Zahid Makhdoom, “The Poetry of Bhitai.” * Madan Gopal Singh (Delhi University), “The Songs of Waris Shah and Bulleh Shah.” * Enakshi Chatterjee (Sunandan, Kolkata), “Sufis and Bauls in the songs of Rabindranath Tagore.” * Moderator: Zahid Makhdoom. This is a free event but requires registration by RSVP: cbanerjee@telus.net. This event is part of a larger program (September 6-20) organized by Hari Sharma Foundation with the help and support of many other organizations.
Muriel Arnason Library: Venice ‘City of Water’
Wednesday, September 17, 7-8 p.m. Some call it the most romantic city in Europe, others the most historical. Venice is a city in northeastern Italy, sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced wood piles, which were imported from the mainland. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. Join Langley photographer John Gordon, the winner of both provincial and national photography awards, for a photographic journey to this fabled city. The program is free but registration is required. Call 604-532-3590 or visit Muriel Arnason Library to reserve your seat.